Disappearing seat.



No. 816,537. PATBNTED MAR. 27, 1906. S. M. CURWEN. DISAPPEARING SEAT.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 9I 1905.

` 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

AN m

'N N @l PATBNTED MAR. 27, 1906.

S. M. CURWEN. DISAPPEARING SEAT.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 9. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.'

UNITED STATES PATENT oFF-ICE.

SAMUEL M. CURWEN, HAVERFORD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN A. BRILL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DISAPPEARING 'SEAT-.i

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 27, 1906.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL M. CURWEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Haverford, county of Montgomery, State of Pennsylvania, have invented 'a new and useful Improvement in Disappearing Seats, of which the following is a description.

The obj ect of my invention is to provide an article of'this class which may be erected when desired and placed in the aisle between two seats of a car and when not in use it may be folded and stored under an adjacent car-seat.

This invention may be used on seats with fixed backsas shown in the application of Charles K. Pickles, Serial No. 244,888, filed on even date herewith, or it may be used, as

shown in the accompanying drawings, on aY seat with a reversible back.

For a more particular description of one embodiment of my invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, formin a part-hereof, in whichigure 1 is a front elevation `of a disappearing seat and adjacent car-seats, the position of the disa pearing seat in storage being indicated by otted lines.. Fi 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 o Fig. 1 looking in the direcflion of the arrows', a portion only of the structure being shown. Fi 3 is a similar section taken on the line 3 3 of ig. 1. Fi s. 4, 5, and 6 are detailed views showing t e means for causing the back of the aisle-seat to en age portions of the backs of car-seats.

hroughout the various views of the drawings, similar reference characters designate similar parts.

In the embodiment of my invention herein illustrated 1 represents the disappearing seat, and 2 and 3 represent ordinary car-seats, which are slightly modified, as will appear below. The icar-seats 2 and 3 are supported at their inner ends by legs 4 and 5, respectively, which legs are bifurcated at 6 and 7, as is apparent in Fig. 3. A slide 8, which is 4preferably a T-iron, rests on the parts 6 and 7, respectively, having an end on each. The part 7 is provided with guides 9, between which the T-iron is adapted to slide, and the part 6 is rovided with a perforation through which a ug 10 projects and holds the end of the iron 8, which rests on the part 6. A handle 11 is placed in the vertical web of the .T- iron 8 and is used in moving the said iron in and out of its position across the aisle.

Extending u wardl and outwardly from the vertical well 12 o the iron 8 are curved links 13, which are pivoted to said web 1 2 by means of pins 14 and also to brackets 15 by ins 16. The brackets 15 are fastened to the ower surface of the cushion 17. Bolts or other fastening means 18 are adapted to operate in the cushion 17 and slide in the recesses or o enings 19 in the seats 2 and 3, respective y, so as to hold the cushion 17 firmly when in its operative position.

Secured to the lower surface of the cushion 17 are sockets 20, from which protrude stud 21, on which are slidably mounted pivotal links 22, which are pivoted at their free ends to the back 23 by means of pivots 24. Proj ecting from the edges of the vback 23 are T- lugs 25, which are so secured and placedthat they are adapted to engage corresponding sockets 26 on the backs of the seats 2 and 3, respectively. This structure enables the back 23 to be held in perfect alinement with the backs of the car-seats and causes the back of the seat l to move in unison with the backs of the' car-'seats to which it is attached when the seats are reversed. The precise form of car-seat illustrated in the drawings in this case is the one shown in my endingapplication, Serial No. 179,105, filed October 29, 1903. It is obvious that with equal facility my improved disappearing seat may be secured to any other suitable form of reversible seat.

From the foregoing the operation of rn improved seat will be readily understoo Assuming the parts to ,be in the position shown in Fig. 1, the disappearing seat is laced in the position shown in the dotted ines of Fig. 1 in the following manner: The bolts l8iare first withdrawn and the back 23 is raised until the lugs 25 are free from the sockets 26 and then the back 23 is folded over flat on the cushion 17. The handle 1 1 is then grasped, the lug 10 is raised free from the socket in the support 6, and the b ar 8 is shoved in the direction of the seat 3 and slides under the cushion thereof and above the footrail 27 and has its free end supported by a collar 28, which is secured on the foot-rail 27. This inward movement causes the upper end of the links 13 to swing to the left, thereby collapsing the disap earing seat to the position shown in dotte lines in Fig. 1 and at the same time permitting it to be moved inwardly IOO until it rests under the seat-cushion and above the foot-rail 27. By a mere reversal of this o eration the disappearing seat 1 may be p aced in the aisle, as shown.

While I have shown and illustrated only one ofthe embodiments of my invention, it is obvious that many others may be made which employ all of its essential characteristics, so that it is not to be construed as limited to the specific disclosure herein made, but is broad enough to cover all structures which come within the scope of the annexed claims.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim is- 1. In an article of the class described, a pair of seats With an aisle between them, a cushion, a back having pivoted connections with said cushion, hinged collapsible means for supporting said cushion and permitting the same to be stored under one of said seats.

2. In an article of the class described, a pair of seats With an aisle between them, a cushion, a back having a pivotal connection aiatav therewith, a bar and means for supporting the same, and levers pivoted to said bar and cushion and adapted to support it between said seats. v

3. In a device ofthe class described, a pair of seats having bifurcated supports, a bar resting on said supports, upwardly-extending links pivoted to said bar and the seat-cushion pivotally connected to said links.

4. ln a device ofthe class described, a pair of seats having supports, an angle-bar adapted to said supports, upwardly-extending links pivoted to said angle-bar, a seat-cushion pivotally connected with said links, a back pivotally connected with said cushion and means on said back for engaging the adjacent seats and holding it in alinement with the backs of said seats.

Signed this 4th day of February, 1905.

SAML. M. CURWEN.

Witnesses:

WM. J. FERDINAND, CHARLES K. PICKLEs. 

